It is no surprise that the right carpet can “make or break” your house. If chosen correctly, it will add comfort and coziness to the room and will make a great element of the overall decor. However, in case of any damage, the carpet will lose its appearance and will detract the coziness of the room. So if you want to keep your carpet clean and protected, you should follow these simple tips:

First, use professional cleaning services. Professionals are very knowledgeable and experienced in terms of carpet types, stain removal and so on. They will not only clean your carpet and make it look as new, but they can also protect your carpet. Professional cleaners use special solutions that shield the carpet fibers and protect them from wear, germs, and dirt. Learn more here: https://drycarpetcleaningtampa.com/

Try to use doormats outside each door. This is a very simple trick, but very effective. As the majority of the dirt and debris comes in from the outside, this step will encourage people to wipe their shoes off before entering the house. It will also cut on the allergens that might be tracked into your home, like pollen.

With the same logic, try to get into the habit of taking your shoes off when you enter the house. This is also a simple tip, but it will eliminate the muddy footsteps, dirt, and debris on the carpet.

Other than that, try to train your pets to stay off the carpet, as they tend to scratch, bite, and damage carpets quite often. Not to mention without proper training they tend to have accidents on the carpet very frequently, which will not only lead to carpet damage, but also to area contamination and health damage. So if your pets are not trained properly, you better not allow them around the carpet at all.

Use coasters for heavy furniture and don’t drag heavy objects on the carpet. Heavy objects and especially furniture can permanently damage your carpet, crushing the carpet fibers and leaving ugly marks all over it. And although it might not seem like a problem right now, when you decide to redesign the room and move the furniture around, you will see the damage and the marks all around. So make sure to use special coasters to protect your carpet to the best of your ability.

This might seem strange, but try to install curtains or at least blinds. Carpet tends to lose color and become faded if it is exposed to sunlight for too long (in the period of a few years). You can prevent that by using curtains or blinds, in order to avoid exposing the carpet to sunlight for too long of a period.

Clean your carpet regularly. Regular vacuuming will not only protect the appearance of your carpet, but it also feels nice and prevents you from developing allergies and health issues. Spot-cleaning your carpet in case of any accidents is also a good idea since any spills can lead to mold growth.

Static shock is something we all experience in our lives and in our homes.

You walk across the rug and reach for the door knob and suddenly you get a shock and all your hairs stand straight out from your head. But why does it happen? Learn more here.

Whenever there is imbalance of electric charges within the substance or on the surface of the material, it leads to static shock.

Atoms in any substance are electrically neutral and when the numbers of positive and negative charges are imbalances they lead to situations like these.

Here is how you can reduce static electricity in your home:

Using a Humidifier: Static electricity gets activated in winters because of dry air and due to lack of humidity. Hence it is recommended to use humidifier so that the moisture stays in the air which will reduce building up of static charge. Humidity can also be decreased by having some plants around the home and thus you may put some efforts in planting them.

Treat the Carpets: Walking over the rugs also charge the components of static electricity. Due to dry atmosphere the carpets shrink and thus they need something to expand again. There are many anti-static sprays available in the market which helps in expanding the roots of the carpet and thus making them soft again. Rayon, nylon and polyester fabric are notorious for static cling and therefore fabric softeners are required for carpets.

Skip Clothes Dryer: Folding laundry in winter is a huge task due to the endless static shocks. The clothes dryer is the major source of static electricity and thus you should not use the dryer in winters and rather try to dry clothes on a sunny day. This will save you from the shocks which you may get while folding the laundry and would also save the one who is going to wear it. if that is not feasible then you should run a metal hanger over the clothes as that will reduce electrical charge of the cloth.

Moisturize Your Skin: If you have dry skin you are more likely to get a static current as compared to a person who is properly moisturized. You should always keep your most exposed areas like hands and feet moisturized so that your skin can repel such shocks. Rub the moisturizer on your full body and keep on rubbing on your hands intermittently throughout the day.

Change Your Shoes: Rubber soled shoes create lot of static electricity and thus if anyone in your house wears those shoes, then it’s time to experiment the new one. Leather soled shoes are perfect in reducing accumulated static electricity but you may experiment other and notice the impact.

Vinegar and Baking Soda: You may put either of these in your washing machine which doing laundry as they serve as fabric softener and static reducer as well in the laundry!

So take these steps to reduce static electricity in your home as it can be danger and nuisance too.

One of the many things you need to consider in order to keep your home healthy is the humidity level. You need to keep the humidity level in control so that the household atmosphere stays pleasant to live in.

Besides having a healthy household, you should also control the humidity level at home so that your A/C, heater and furnace are not overworked and so mold does not grow. The ideal humidity level at home is supposed to be between 30%-35% in summer, and 40-45% in winter.

Read below to find out some ways you can keep the humidity level in your household in check.

Hygrometer:

Hygrometer is quite cheap and looks like a thermostat. You can easily buy one for your home, as it will keep you updated about what your ideal humidity level should be at home.

Humidifier:

Usually in the winter time, your home lacks humidity. Lack of humidity can also cause several problems. It results in dry skin, dry walls, dying plants and dusty carpets and so on. To prevent this, use a humidifier that will increase the humidity level in the house.

Dehumidifier:

High humidity level increases heat during the summer time. It also causes health issues like headaches, stomach aches, and suffocation and so on, and it makes insects like termites breed in the household. The best way to deal with excessive humidity is to buy a dehumidifier that can balance the humidity level during the summer time. Do take care of your humidifier and empty the water from it on a regular basis.

Move Away the Heater:

If the humidity level increases too much at home, you should move away the heater or furnace from the main rooms, and maybe keep it in a room where nobody lives. Heater usually makes the atmosphere more humid than necessary.

Open the Windows:

If the atmosphere at home becomes too stuffy and humid, try opening the windows and let the air in, be it cool or hot air.

Use Exhaust Fans:

Fans do not really actively help in decreasing humidity but it circulates the air around the household. Especially in bathrooms, a lot of humid airs are created, thus, it’s necessary to install exhaust fan in the bathroom.

Chimney:

Kitchens also produce humidity, therefore, you need to use a chimney or exhaust fan in the kitchen to balance the humidity level.

So, that’s how you go about checking the humidity level at home. Taking care of the atmosphere of your household makes living there more fun, so don’t take this lightly!

Mold is a form of fungi that is neither a plant nor animal but develops their own kingdom and rots the area. They can surround trees, stagnant water and anywhere where they find suitable conditions and temperature to grow.

Mold can cause serious health hazard and thus it is necessary to understand what conditions are favorable to its growth and how to avoid them.

Households are also prone to mold; you might have seen green fuzzy layer on your bread when it expires! So here are few situations which can lead to growth of molds in your home!

Dampness of Area:

Molds require considerable moisture to grow and spread. This moisture is present in damp places such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements and laundry rooms.

The mold is always noticed when they spread widely, small amount of mold is never noticed and they are harmless too.

Since the bathrooms and kitchens are closed and have high humidity due to cooking and washing, it causes condensation which allows molds to grow. Due to poor ventilation and presence of moisture the molds spread and accumulate.

Leaks & Seepages:

If the roof is damaged or the ground doesn’t slope away from your house then it means that moisture can seep into your home which may result in development of mold.

Mold can grow around the chimney and even on attic insulation. The surprising part is that mold just requires 48 hours to grow and then it can multiply in matter of few days.

This indoor growth of moulds can pose serious health concerns to residents as it can lead to allergies, asthma and respiratory problems too!

Condensation:

People are not aware but even condensation can cause mold. Cold surfaces get condense especially on the concrete floors even if they are covered with carpets and on metal pipes which eventually becomes the prime spot for mold growth.

Wet Clothes:

If the damp or sweaty clothes are left in a pile for more than a day then they can develop mold into it. Or even if the clothes are left wet for over the day after being washed then also they foster mold.

As we discussed, there are multiple reasons which leads to growth of mold in the home. The following are the triggers or the favorable conditions for the growth of molds and if any area of your home is developing this then you should ensure that they are restricted:

Darkness:

Molds can never grow in the area which is exposed to sun or UV rays. It can only develop in the dark area away from natural light.

Warmth:

Mold never grows in freezing temperatures and thus places which are filled with snow round the year don’t have molds.

Moisture:

This is the prime ingredient- water leaks and humidity!

Mold Spores:

Spores help the molds in multiplying as they reproduce through them.

Food Source:

If the place is damp, dark and contains wood, drywall or cotton then they act as food for molds which eases out their growth.

Hello, home builders & remodelers! This blog is for anyone interested in building their own dream home or remodeling their current home to become the home of their dreams. I plan to write helpful posts on how to complete home repair projects and upgrades to transition your home into a truly special living space.